Do you ever look at epic images of elusive animals that are well-lit, intimate and show the animal in their natural habitat and wonder… how did the photographer do it? Well, it’s very likely that the photographer utilized a camera trap. Camera trapping is a wildlife monitoring and photography technique that involves setting up motion-activated cameras in natural habitats to capture images or videos of animals in their natural environment. It is effective because it allows researchers and photographers to observe and document elusive or nocturnal species without human interference. The use of remote cameras minimizes disturbance to wildlife, increases the likelihood of capturing rare or elusive species, and provides valuable data for scientific research and conservation efforts. Some of the top camera trap photographers rely on Sony cameras and lenses to make these images. We’ve gathered a list of incredible Sony shooters who are using camera traps to make unique imagery - check them out below and give them a follow.

Do you ever look at images of elusive animals that are well-lit, intimate and show an animal in their natural habitat and wonder…how did the photographer do it?

Benjamin Olson – @benjaminolsonphotography

Benjamin Olson is a wildlife, landscape and conservation photographer. His life revolves around the wilderness, and his work aims to bridge the gap between society and nature. He’s a Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and he’s currently working on multiple visual research projects to document the impacts of climate change. We love this fantastic shot below that Olson made using a camera trap. You get a sense of scale when you look at how large the cup is! The addition of context in the scene that comes through with a wide angle, is what truly makes this image great.

Michael Eastwell - @Michaeleastwell

Michael Eastwell is an Australian-based photographer originally from England. He fell in love with wildlife photography during COVID and grew his passion into his career. His work focuses on wildlife, nature, and conservation. One of his current projects is on the endangered Tasmanian devil. It was while working on this project that he made the image below, showcasing the devil in its natural environment! Michael describes the hours and hours he spent working towards this photo in the caption. He made the photograph with a Camtraption waterproof housing, his Sony Alpha 7R IV, Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master, three wireless flashes and the Camtraptions PIR V3, receiver.

Roman Willi - @romanwilliphotography

Roman Willi is an award winning wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and conservationist from Lucerne, Switzerland. He is well-known for his incredible macro photography work with insects. He is also an all-around fantastic wildlife photographer. He made this image of a fox in Switzerland with his Sony Alpha 7R in a camera trap setup. We love the composition of this image, the low angle is something we very rarely see with foxes. And the wide focal range allows the viewer to take in more of the scene while maintaining a sense of closeness with the fox.

Carlton Ward Jr. – @CarltonWard

Carlton Ward Jr is a conservation photographer and National Geographic Explorer whose passion for nature was born from the Florida landscape. His mission is to inspire appreciation and protection of Florida’s original nature and culture – the endangered wildness that is often hidden in plain sight but very much needs our attention to be saved. He recently produced and starred in a documentary about protecting Florida’s panthers. This project required footage and images of these elusive animals in the wild. This means Carlton relied heavily on camera traps. All of the camera trap footage was shot on various mirrorless bodies ranging from Sony Alpha 6400 all the way through to Sony Alpha 7S III.

Brenden Simonson – @brenden_simonson

Brenden Simonson is a wildlife photographer and nature enthusiast. He is based in Tarangire National Park and as you scroll through his Instagram account, you’ll see images of lions, zebras, elephants, and other iconic wildlife. Recently, he shared the image below, made with a camera trap setup of a mother and child porcupine. Brenden made this image with his Sony Alpha 7R III. Be sure to follow his account for more images in your feed.

Antonia Bobbert – @wildlife_photography_bobbert

Antonia Bobbert is a 20-year-old wildlife photographer based in Germany. In addition to photography, Antonia is studying biology, so she truly understands the animals she's making images of. She recently posted this image of these adorable foxes near their den. Knowing that foxes are quite skittish to humans near a den, particularly ones with kits, she set up a remote camera to make her images. We love the post below, if you swipe to the second image, you can see a behind the scenes photo of her setup: a Camtraptions trigger along with her Sony Alpha 6000.

Dan Carr – @dancarrphoto

Dan Carr is a professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of the blog Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull. On Shutter Muse he shared his technique for using the Sony RMT-P1BT remote to make intimate images of wildlife on his Sony Alpha 9 II and Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master. As you can see in the image below, this setup allows for breathtakingly intimate images of foxes that you would be hard pressed to make in person.

George McKenzie Jr. - @georgemckenziejr

George McKenzie Jr. is a National Geographic Society award-winning visual storyteller from Brooklyn, NY, who specializes in wildlife, natural history, and conservation. With over 10 years of experience, George is well-versed in producing stories with an impact that focus on human interests around the world. When he’s not working on his next wildlife story, George is an educator in his local community, mentoring rising young people of color around the world. He’s currently based in Florida, making stunning images of nature and wildlife. That is where he made the image below. We are blown away by this eye-catching shot of a bear walking through a sandy area in Florida. To read more about George and his work, click HERE.

Jen Guyton - @JenGuyton

Jen Guyton is a wildlife and conservation photographer. She is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) and an explorer with the National Geographic Society. In 2019, Jen became a Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique where she photographed conservation stories. The image below was made during this time, it showcases a saddle-billed stork bobbing for catfish in a pond in Gorongosa National Park. To make this image, Jen put a Sony Alpha 7S in a camera trap.

Levi Dojczman - @manskyphoto

Levi Dojczman is a wildlife photographer based in Canada. One day, he was out photographing birds and he came across a fox den. He tried to photograph the foxes, but they were too skittish around human presence. So he tried something new. He brought out a 60-foot USB cable into the wild and connected his camera trap to his computer. The camera trap was set up with his Sony Alpha 6100 and Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G, which he connected to the Sony Remote software to make images. It took quite a bit of trial and error, but he was finally successful with the image below. He also documented the whole process in this YouTube video.

Sebastian Kennerknecht - @PumaPix

Sebastian Kennerknecht is a nature and conservation photographer who covers wildlife and environmental issues internationally, focusing in particular on wild cats. He calls himself a big cat nerd and is the owner of @catexpeditions, small group photo tours that come eye-to-eye with wild cats through luxury photo safaris that have a direct impact on conservation. He’s a Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and works closely with field biologists to both effectively and ethically capture photographs of some of the rarest cats on the planet while also highlighting the threats they face. He is well known for his skills with camera trapping and frequently teaches workshops on it. When camera trapping, Sebastian typically uses the Sony Alpha 7S and the Sony 10-18mm f/4.